Tag Archives: restore

The house is officially ours! We sold our last home in 2006 so we feel like brand new home owners. We went into the house for the first time on our own to really evaluate what needed to be done. We already had a plan on what we wanted to do, but it’s hard to really know the scope of work without punching a few holes in the wall. We had a small toolbox there, but none of the stuff we will really needed for the job. All of us took a turn punching holes in a wall, which by the way, is a fantastic feeling. We pulled up carpet and pulled up a bit of the kitchen linoleum. Here is where we stand.

The walls were built with a plaster board. At first I was confused, because it was covered in paper like drywall, and was in sheets like drywall, but was clearly not gypsum. I did some research and found that in the 60’s they came out with a product that would allow people to plaster their walls in sheets. Drywall had become more popular during WWII, but plaster was still considered primo. These sheets were like drywall, but filled with plaster. So today it feels more like concrete than drywall, but you can still easily punch a hole through the wall and tear it off. Conclusion: no problem to demo, but may take a little more time than standard gypsum board.

The carpet in the extra room, which I will call the suite from now on, came off pretty easily. Boy was it dirty under the pad. Years of dust sifting down through the carpet and pad. Underneath is a fantastic pine plank floor. There is some glue residue from the carpet, but no big deal. The majority of this wood will be lifted out for use on other projects. We will then tile the bathroom portion. Conclusion: as expected.

The carpet in the master bedroom was a different story. Under the current carpet we found the original carpet. It was worn threadbare, but still sticking hard to the pine floors. It was glued down and has a rubber like backing which does not want to come up. We researched and found a product called Sentinel 747 that we are going to try. Conclusion: this is going to take a long time and will be hard labor.

The linoleum in the kitchen is not glued down as thoroughly as it could be, which is good, but it is still a pain like any linoleum. Underneath is a 3/8″ plywood sub floor. Under that is the pine floor we are reaching for. We don’t know yet if they just screwed the plywood down or also glued it. We bought a heat gun to help soften the linoleum as we take it off. Hopefully the plywood isn’t glued. I would love to be able to lift the pieces whole so I can use them to patch the chicken coop and dog house. The condition of the pine remains to be seen. Conclusion: As expected, labor intensive work. Still some unknowns.

The chimney stack rises through what will become the washroom. It is currently covered in plaster and we want to expose the brick. Whoever plastered it did it right, steel mesh and all. Break out the pneumatic chisel. Conclusion: with the right tools, it shouldn’t be too bad. Hopefully the brick is in good shape.

After completing the evaluation, we took the next day to plan and make a list of things we needed. So last night was a Home Depot night instead of a work night. But tonight starts the real demolition. May our hammers swing freely! #DemoDay